You will find here:
- HOW G DEPENDENCY DEVELOPS
- WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU ARE G DEPENDENT
- WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS
- HOW TO DETOX THE PHYSICAL DEPENDENCY
- G DETOX WITH MEDICAL SUPPORT
- G DETOX WITHOUT MEDICAL SUPPORT
- HOW TO ADDRESS THE PSYCHOLOGICAL DEPENDENCY ON G
The main difference between physical and psychological dependency is that physical dependency is marked by withdrawal symptoms that make you feel physically ill, while psychological dependence is marked by a persistent, strong urge to use drugs despite negative consequences. GHB/GBL is a drug that can result in both kinds of dependencies very severely.
1: HOW G PHYSICAL DEPENDENCY DEVELOPS
Many people who use G regularly are surprised when they find out that GHB/GBL IS PHYSICALLY VERY ADDICTIVE, which means that after using a lot, your body will demand more, otherwise you will suffer from very strong withdrawal symptoms.
It’s a very common thing to think that G is not very dangerous, if we compare how to take it and its effects with how Crystal or other substances work. G is really easy to take: it doesn’t affect your sleeping (on the contrary, sometimes when people have insomnia, G is an option that some might consider, especially after taking Tina); you don’t need a pipe or needles, the pupils of your eyes won’t change and it doesn’t smell if you take some, while if you drink alcohol people might notice, etc.
Additionally, G has a powerful effect in managing uncomfortable emotions such as comedowns, depression, sadness, boredom, guilt, shame, etc. Often G helps us to feel something different than what we are feeling and what we don’t want to feel, or on the contrary, to feel something that we are not feeling but we want to feel. And sometimes, we think that anything is better than feeling what we are feeling.
It looks like G only brings advantages, but there is a big problem: how easy it is to become dependent on it. It’s not unusual that when someone tries G to manage challenging emotions, every time they have to address them, they remember that there is something that will make them feel better, and considering how easy it is to take, they might start to use it more and more.
Using 2-3 days a week should be the maximum. Becoming physically dependent on G is very easy when using it to fall asleep, or to cope with challenging comedowns after playing.
If you have been using a lot after a long weekend, you might feel very anxious, shaky, sweaty, and have problems with insomnia. These are the first symptoms that are showing you that a potential dependency is developing, you will notice the urge to take a shot of G to stop feeling these uncomfortable sensations, and it’s very important to get over this powerful urge, in order to avoid becoming physically addicted to G. If this is the case and this is how you are feeling, try to avoid stressful situations, get lots of rest, have a nice warm bath, and be patient and gentle with yourself: these uncomfortable feelings will pass.
If you are not sure whether you have developed a physical dependency to G, you can assess this by seeing how your body reacts if you don’t have some. It also helps to recall when was the last day when you didn’t have any. When someone is suffering from a G dependency, they need to take it every day several times, and if they stop, they will experience withdrawal symptoms. Exploring when you last took G may help you to gain some perspective on this.
2: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU ARE G DEPENDENT
VERY IMPORTANT! THIS INFORMATION IS NOT ABOUT BEING DRAMATIC; IT’S ABOUT BEING REALISTIC
G dependency is not fun. Once the dependency has developed, people don’t take G to get high, they take G to function, otherwise they will suffer from very strong withdrawal symptoms. To prevent this from happening, they have to go everywhere with the bottle of G, and as soon as they need it, they will have to take some: to work, to visit their parents, to have sex, to see the dentist, to drive, to go to the cinema, etc.
Another consequence, for many people, is that G becomes indispensable when they want to fall asleep, which means that it’s not unusual to have to increase dose every night versus what they are using during the day, and very often instead of falling asleep you are passing out. In many cases, people wake up suddenly after 2 or 3 hours, having to take more, making it very difficult to remember when they last slept 8 hours with no interruptions. This obviously affects the quality of the sleep, not allowing their bodies and brains to rest properly, which has an effect on feeling very tired the next day, high levels of anxiety, an impact on their appearance, and an additional strong sense of guilt and feeling totally out of control.
It’s also important to highlight the fact that in a situation when someone is taking G so regularly, the chances of suffering from a G overdose increases, and this can happen in unexpected places: at work, in the street, on the bus, etc. Putting them at risk of having accidents and unwanted consequences.
Additionally, using G for everything includes using G for sexual interaction, and it’s very easy to get to a point when having sober sex becomes very difficult after getting used to having sex on G. This is not only about a big chemsex session, it can also involve ‘quickies’ or regular sex.
3: WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS
If the physical dependency on G has already developed, there is a powerful need to take more G very regularly throughout the day including also in the middle of the night.
After stopping taking G, withdrawal symptoms usually begin within 1 to 3 hours of use, and they can last for 6 to 12 days or longer. When this happens, these symptoms are really dangerous if you just stop. If this is the case, it will be necessary to access medical support, so you will have to contact your local drug and alcohol service, which will be able to provide a supervised detox program for you to get over the physical dependency.
Once the dependency is present, withdrawal symptoms can be very difficult to manage. They might involve:
- Huge levels of anxiety, which might result in body trembling, panic attacks, sweating, elevated heart rate, trouble concentrating, etc.
- Physical reactions such as diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting, high blood pressure or lack of appetite.
- Psychological reactions such as hallucinations, confusion and paranoia, delirium, memory problems, high levels of depression, or suicidal ideation.
- Problems with sleeping; Insomnia, especially those who have been using G to be able to sleep, nightmares, etc.
The severity of the withdrawal symptoms is directly proportional to the length of the dependency, as well as to the amount of G that someone has been taking daily.
If you run out of G and you are experiencing withdrawal symptoms, try not to medicate yourself with any other substance (like alcohol, Valium, etc.) and go to Accident & Emergency as soon as possible. They will look after you.
4: HOW TO DETOX THE PHYSICAL DEPENDENCY
If the physical dependency on G has already developed, there is a powerful need to take more G very regularly throughout the day, including also in the middle of the night. If you want to stop, remember that it’s very important not to stop suddenly. Withdrawal symptoms can be very unpleasant and also very dangerous, so you can’t just stop without any support. Also, it’s important to be aware that replacing a G dependency for any other substance is very tempting, for example, for alcohol, so while you are stopping, it’s vital to avoid this big temptation.
OPTIONS IF YOU WANT TO STOP, ONCE THE DEPENDENCY HAS DEVELOPED:
There are 2 options available:
GHB/GBL DETOX WITH MEDICAL SUPPORT:
- Detox can be challenging, but you can access medical support to cope with the withdrawal symptoms: anxiety, insomnia, hallucinations, etc. You will need to contact your local drug and alcohol service (if you don’t know the name, Google it + the name of the area where you live. E.g. Westminster drug and alcohol service), and they will take care of you.
- Remember that you have been using G to deal with lots of emotions while you had to address them, and some of them very unpleasant ones. You know what this means: when you have been sad: a shot of G. When you have been upset: a shot of G. When you have been horny … a shot of G. Medical support will only help you to deal with what your body feels, but you need to keep an eye on your emotional part. We highly recommend you to ask for help, to re-learn how to manage emotions without G. Ask your drugs and alcohol service for support, they will be very happy to help you. If asking them is not an option, we would like to help if we can. We encourage you to check our online tools to explore ways to set strategies and make some changes, and you can also contact us:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . We will do as much as we can to support you.
GHB DETOX WITHOUT MEDICAL SUPPORT:
Not everybody is happy with the idea of contacting a drug & alcohol service, perhaps because of paranoia or stigma. In addition to this, not everybody has access to medical support (if you are illegal in the country and you don’t have a GP, for example).
Fortunately, there is another option apart from accessing medical support, which is about stabilising your use, and then, reducing it slowly until you can manage it. Stopping radically is not an option because of the withdrawal symptoms, but stopping gradually it is.
- First of all, it’s essential to be aware that you will have to be as accurate as possible regarding how much you are using, and when you are using. Your body will start to get used to experiencing some changes, and you have to do it gently if you want to succeed. This is why it’s so important that you choose the perfect time to start this program: a quiet week without extra pressure, when you can avoid stressful situations, with nobody visiting you, for instance.
- To start, you can download what it’s called a “G Diary”, where you can keep records of the times when you are taking your dose of G, and the amount that you are taking.
- You will need a 1ml barrel as well, in order to be able to measure your dose accurately (an insulin syringe would be perfect).
- Once you have decided when it’s the right time to start, find the lowest dose that you think is enough for you to keep safe (for example, 1.5ml) to take regularly every hour and a half. Note down in the right column of the diary the times when you are going to have your doses, e.g.: 10:00am, 11:30am, 1pm, 2:30pm, etc.
- For a couple of days, try to stick to this dose and to stick to these hours. Your body needs to adjust, and it will need to get used to having the same dose every day, at the same times. We need to insist on the necessity of being very precise and strict with the amount as well as the times; both need to be carefully measured.
- If you are used to taking a higher amount of G to go to sleep, maybe the one that you have chosen for your daily doses is not going to be enough. In these cases, please start from the lowest amount you need when you go to bed comfortably. Of course we understand that you can’t control if you are going to wake up in the middle of the night, and when. If this happens you won’t be able to be accurate with the timing, but you will be able to measure the amount of your dose. Please, don’t be too flexible anyway, nights are not the opportunity to take more than what you need, remember that this period of detox will finish soon, and the plan is that you end up without any need for G at all.
- Once this is done, after two days you have achieved the first part of the plan. You have stabilised your use, and your body is used to having the same amount at the same times.
- After these two days, please proceed to reduce the amount of G of your dose (if you have been taking 1.5ml, after two days your dose will be 1.4ml), exactly at the same times when you were taking. Every day you will reduce the dose by 0.1ml, until you reach 0.1ml. At that point, you will be able to stop taking G without experiencing withdrawal symptoms.
THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW THE G DIARY LOOKS LIKE
